The moon has once again continued its journey around the world and you can feel the chill of winter slowly starting to ease. It's time for new life to emerge, new beginnings and new experiences.
Submit an RP with your soquili experiencing something new! Maybe they made a new friend or went outside their comfort zone!
This was all so very new to her. Ebony had been providing for her herd for what seemed like many seasons now. She had forgotten what it meant to have family under hoof. Although it appeared that Lavender had returned home for lessons in healing: lessons which she would willingly pass over to her sibling ... it all felt: strange. The camaraderie that they had once shared as foals was long gone. She missed it terribly. For all intents and purposes she seemed aloof from the joyous reunions that had taken place with Lavender's return.
Ebony was not sure why she could not feel the same amount of jubilation that everyone else was expressing. Had her sister returned for good or was this just some sort of brief stay? What was this negative emotion welling up in her? Was it jealousy? She sniffed disdainfully. She was positive it was not jealousy. She had the herd looking to her to heal their many injuries that were presented. Maybe, and this seemed much more likely, that Ebony was angered by Lavender's decision to just up and leave the herd, ignoring the path that had been decreed she follow.
Yes, anger was the new emotion coursing through her and she embraced it silently. She never knew it felt so wild, so compelling. But even with that being said, the unicorn mare tamped down on her frustrations, she had a job to do. Whether it not time spent with her sister would mellow out the anger was up in the air but for now - she had a duty to attend to. Her knowledge needed to be passed onto her sister as herd law decreed. Whether or not she agreed with the law was up in the air. Her sense of duty trumped her personal feelings but she would not be mincing words or actions during her teachings.
The world is a vast and endless place. Some Soquili leave their homes one day to find a new one. Others are endless wanderers, roaming to their hearts content. Spring is all about new beginnings, after all.
Submit an RP with your Soquili traveling to a new place or recalling a time they traveled.
By all means did Catalyst not appreciate the weather. He stood glumly in a cave that had promised sudden protection from the late snowstorm that had decided to pay the land a visit. His orange orbs tracked the fluffy snowflakes as they fell to the ground and he sighed. "This would have never happened back in my old place of residence," he murmured aloud. It didn't seem to matter that the stallion had no audience to hear his words for he continued to speak. "In my old lands the sun shone for days on end. It wasn't unbearable though. But after a while it seemed as if I had an itch that I couldn't scratch. I needed to be on the move."
Catalyst fell silent for a moment before kicking at a loose pebble that was by his rear hooves, "I can't say that the journey was easy. It turns out I made more than a few wrong turns that led me astray. Wherever I was meant to go, it certainly wasn't here. But with that being said, and with all the hardships that I endured to stumble upon this place ... the journey was worth it. I cannot imagine a more diverse land than these and although the weather clime is not at all what I'm used to," and here a dirty look was shot towards the snow-laden clouds, "I for one am glad that I can at least say that, in due time, I've come to realize what a jewel these lands are. Plenty of food, plenty of company, plenty of everything. Though I could do without the shifters. But I guess they keep the population in check. Can't fault them."
With that last statement Catalyst returned to staring at the weather outside. He only needed to wait until the snow stopped and then he could be on his way again. As if sensing that he still needed to say something he gave himself a little shake, "where was I again?"
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332 words
Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2023 5:17 am
The last thing you remember is…Well, you don’t remember. Strange?
Where is this place? It looks like you’re in the middle of dark forest. Was it even dark the last time you were….coherent? Just as you’re about to ask yourself what is going on, you hear what you will later start calling The Voice.
“Hello, fool.” The voice is terrifying with how normal it sounds. There’s a slight lilt to it, but that’s it. It seems to come from everywhere or nowhere at once.
“Let’s play a game. Right now you’re in the middle of a forest and all you have to do is find your way out. Simple? Yes, truly, just like your mind.” The airy laugh echoes on. “You have two hours.”
You shout at the voice asking how you get here, along with a bunch of other questions, but the only answer is–
“Tick, tock. Time’s running out little fool. This time we’ll play for a prize and if you fail, well, I won’t take it out on your utter incompetence. But next time…the stakes will be higher.”
You spend the next five minutes trying to talk with the voice or reason with, but it refuses to say another thing.
Really, whether you like it or not, you’ve only got one choice—GET OUT!
Quote:
Prompt: You wake up in the forest. How you got there isn’t important right now. But the thing is that you’ve been given a time limit by a sinister voice who acts like this is just the first round in some demented game. Whether or not you really want to play, you do know that you don’t want to stay here.
The first stirrings of awareness brought a giant lumbering stretch to the shifter that had, up to only a few seconds before, been enjoying the restful sleep she had been deeply immersed in. The sudden sense that something was off had Qahira instantly awake and growling lowly in her throat. How dare someone lay hooves on her in her most vulnerable state. The owner of this voice would pay and it was without any due courtesy that she expressed her desire to sink her teeth and claws into this unknown voice. Not only did they bring her here without her consent but now they also deemed it wise to antagonize her further by expressing just how little she knew. That was going too far. The female bit down on words that she wanted to say in response. It'd be unwise to admit the words that had been spoken bothered her. So to did the fact that she was seemingly on a time limit to get out of this forest.
For a moment Qahira took in her surroundings before squinting at the terrain. It seemed that no matter which way she were to go that everything was totally alien in appearance. She did not know this forest and the only desire would be to burn it down in revenge.
"Be smart, be wise, be prepared for anything," was muttered under her breath as she shifted to her Soquili form in order to travel more effectively. Being in her larger form allowed more power in the muscles of her body that moved effortlessly, flawlessy, because of course, she was, a shifter. As Qahira ambled along at a pace that might have been too slow at times she kept herself amused by vividly dreaming of how she could bring this same feeling of helplessness to the voice by stranding them in a forest. The only difference is they'd be alone & injured and she would be actively hunting.
For now though as she strode into a clearing did Qahira cease her mental musings to eyeball this new terrain. This was something she had never seen before. Standing shoulder to shoulder and no more than six inches in height was a bevy of field mice all staring with black beady eyes, all situated on her. As soon as they caught sight of the shifter they all bounded towards Qahira, cavorting back and forth in a rhythmic pattern. For a moment the shifter was puzzled by the creatures antics. Why on earth would they be running towards a carnivore? Running towards certain death? As she watched them move though she found her thoughts slowing, then stilling and finally succumbing to the demand that had wormed into her mind of just how tired she still was. After all: it was just barely spring. She had been hibernating all winter. Surely a little snooze here wouldn't be of any harm, would it? Almost as if she were caught in a wonderful dream did the shifter feel herself sinking towards the ground, intent on a good night's rest. Or that would have been the result had one of the field mice not taken an initiative to see if their prey was truly out of it. They'd perfected the art of seemingly putting their victims into a trance-like sleep with how coordinated their movements were. That lone field mouse had broken away from its comrades in order to test just how deeply this giant creature was under their influence. Poking the large mass yielded hardly any reaction. Was this prey that easily ensnared? Almost immediately did the other mice break off from their motions and instead work together to ensure that their new piece of prey was dutifully wrapped up and unable to strike back. After several minutes of cooperation did the mice achieve victory of a sort. Each of Qahira's limbs had been coaxed out of position before being tied crisscross in a tight back-and-forth diagonal pattern that was then secured tightly to a large tree. Almost as if sensing that would not be enough did one mouse break off from its fellows and approach the sleeping creature. Even as it made a circuit around the subdued shifter did the realization of what had been missed came a fraction of a second too late. No one had thought to place a muzzle over the great maw of their new prey and even as the lone mouse made the motions of looping more vine in an effort to effectively take away all power from the shifter did Qahira startle awake. Her abrupt return to consciousness was heralded by the screams of the foolish creature that thought to get too close to her mouth. Qahira savoured the sound even as she ended the life of the one that had dared to muzzle her. At seeing the fate that lay before them the rest of the mice scattered to escape this prey's wrath. Qahira growled low in her throat as she began to painstakingly gnaw through the vines that were holding her captive. How dare mice do this to her ... mice. Common everyday things that she would just as much step on or snap up in her jaws. Feeling the last vine snap apart under her sharp teeth did Qahira sever the vine that had held her fast to a large boulder. Just what would those mice have done to her if she hadn't woken up when she did?
Figuring it was too much of a hassle to hunt the vermin down did Qahira grimace before going back to grab the vines that the mice had used on her. It could very well come in handy down the path.
"When I get out of this forest it'll be my divine pleasure to find every single mouse I can and end its pitiful excuse of a life as soon as I catch sight of it. Every mouse will suffer because of the actions of these few," this was the new thought that went through her mind even as she stepped a little more lively now. Qahira's eyes were opened to just how dangerous this forest could be. The voice's owner still would be enemy number one but now there was company in that number one spot. "No one, in their right mind, trusses up a shifter like its about to be lead to slaughter."
A few minutes passed in which Qahira continued to mutter obscenely before she caught sight of what now seemed to block her path. A rather impressive barricade of fallen logs and giant boulders were blocking the path that she was continuing to follow. Given the fact that it was tightly packed together made it more likely that this was the right path to continue down. But there was just no going around the barricade or going over or under it without risking bodily injury. Almost as if on cue did Qahira glance to the vine-rope she had collected early before beginning the arduous process of tying the vine to a log or a boulder in order to shift the debris. It took a very small amount of energy to yank the boulder out of the way but even as it shifted did something fall into the free space to create yet another blockage. If that continued to happen then Qahira would never get past this barrier. Retrieving the rope of vine did Qahira study the various bits and pieces that made up the construction of the barricade. It took roughly thirty minutes but finally she had managed to find a repeating pattern of build that would be easy enough to pick apart and leave the rest of the barrier intact. Selecting one of the larger logs did Qahira loop the vine around it began tightening the knot and after positioning herself a few meters away did she pick up the loose end of the vine and give a forceful tug. The vine snapped taut and the overriding friction caused the log to burst free suddenly. No time for celebrations though as Qahira went back to work on pulling out the other pieces that needed to come out. There was a specific order in which she worked. First two logs were yanked free and then a single boulder. Eventually, even as sweat dripped down her heaving flanks did Qahira study the final result. The pieces that she had yanked free were shored up along the opening that she had created in order to keep the passage open. Bits of vine bound logs together that were then in turn shored up by the boulders. Sniffing at a great bit of ingenuity on her own behalf did Qahira push forward once more. As soon as she cleared the log & boulder barricade did she sit down with an exhausted groan before noting the sound of gurgling water beyond the edge of the forest.
Wait? Edge of the forest? Had she made it out then?
Even as she passed the final tree that stood silent sentinel did Qahira pause before moving to stand in the water in order to cool her paws and also grab a few refreshing mouthfuls of the liquid that flowed in the direction of the forest. Well if the water was flowing into the forest than she was more than willing enough to follow the water to its source. For moving upstream was better than following the stream back into that strange place. Still Qahira had a few new enemies to add to her mental list of things that dared to cross her ... and they would all feel her wrath: someday.
Small doses of things can be beneficial, while larger doses can be harmful or even fatal. How much is too much?
Remember that plant you found? Well it's unique. You see, it can both be medicinal in certain doses but also toxic.
Please write 750 words per RPer telling me one of the following:
1. How do you figure out it helps but also kills? 2. Tell a story about your soquili intentionally using this plant for good or nefarious purposes. Do they plan on growing more or getting rid of the plant?
The trials had been an interesting affair. Midnight's Whisper had taken copious observations of the results of her tinkering with the mysterious plant. Some of those trials had even been self-administered to her own digestive system to determine whether or not shifters were immune to the plant's debilitating effects: sadly they were not. But now, oh now was going to be a glorious day. Midnight had recovered sufficiently to be able to travel once more. Preferring the agility that came with the smaller form of her fox self Midnight's Whisper left behind the cool comfort of the forest behind her. Deep in the darkest recesses of the forest had she stumbled across the strangest plant that grew and she had, began a systematic trial and error session of feeding bits of the plant to the woodland creatures. The results spoke of promising future endeavours as she had begun to hypothesize just how this miracle plant could be used to her advantage.
Harvesting just enough of the plant to ensure that she did not strip the entire ability to regrow from the plant but yet still have a desired quantity of leaves had been a tedious affair. Each plucked leaf had to be scrutinized before the shifter had even begun to mentally dissect the plant. What could she take in essence that would see the plant remain healthy and perhaps grow back hardier than before? Once those decisions had been made she began the process of plucking off random leaves, always careful to minimize how long the leaf remained in contact with her mouth. If a feeling of numbness began to arise Midnight would pause until the symptom subsided. The numbness was just the beginning indicator that something was amiss. If one continued contact with the leaf then they were prone to dizzy spells and then a temporary paralysis. If the contact remained after paralysis set in, there was always the chance that death would follow. But it was that third stage that Midnight wanted to take advantage of: for if she could incapacitate her chosen targets it would make it much easier to force yet another little surprise down their throats that she had picked up. But first there needed to be targets obtained and Midnight's Whisper was on the prowl. Her miracle siblings from the stars were on the top of her list to track down. All four were potential game but there was one on the shifter's mind night and day and he'd be the one to experience her little surprise first ... if she could only find him: Castor's Lament.
Midnight needed the time to track down her wayward sibling and perhaps anyone that he associated with in order for this plan to work soundly. She would definitely incapacitate anyone that Castor's Lament was close to in order to rein in the stallion's haughty attitude towards herself. Using those that he was close to as bait would work nicely. He'd end up being putty in her paws. She'd command and with the threat of death lingering over those he cared about, he would be sure to obey. And if he didn't, well, she'd not care if she destroyed anyone around him while he, too, was out of commission.
The ultimate goal was to eliminate those of her shared heritage that had been blessings from the stars but there was no reason that she could not inflict mental torment on her siblings and family at the same time before taking their lives. All she yearned for would be to never be forgotten again and this little miracle plant and its wonderful properties would see to that. No one would be immune to her vengeance that she wished to inflict on her familial line. Once the blessed ones were out of her life, the better it would be for her. And then, there were all those other miracles that were not of her flesh and blood that could suffer her wrath as well. Midnight's Whisper had been truly changed by the depravity of the corpse powder that had been offered to her one cold, dreary night but the mare found that she did not mind the effects. Crafting such a cunning plan of revenge and then finding the means to do so took a sharp intelligence and know how to apply the results to fit the pre-planned agenda. The shifter had embraced the changes to her physiology and mentality when she had made her first kill while in her enraged state. The target had succumbed quite easily but had left behind a treasure trove of memories that she had sifted through which had eventually led her to finding the plant that she was now calling: Lifestealer.
There was enough daylight to set out upon the last known location that she had caught a trace of Castor's whereabouts and with the evilest of intentions did Midnight begin her the newest path in her journey. Death awaited everyone at the end but she was going to just speed up the process for some.
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